Cost of Living Comparison Between Fortaleza and San Juan Cost of Living Comparison Between Fortaleza and San Juan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $823 per month in Fortaleza vs $800 in San Juan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,279 per month in Fortaleza vs $1,291 in San Juan, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,736 per month in Fortaleza vs $1,782 in San Juan, rent included.

Fortaleza costs about 3% more than San Juan, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Fortaleza and San Juan are more affordable than the global median – Fortaleza 38% lower, San Juan 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.51 R$28.18

$2.71 ₱167

103.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.58 R$177

$8.83 ₱542

291.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 R$34.48

$3.65 ₱224

84.66%

Cappuccino

$2.09 R$10.71

$2.86 ₱176

-26.92%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 R$5.86

$0.81 ₱49.83

41.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.25

$0.44 ₱26.87

43.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 R$10.22

$1.50 ₱92.0

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.88

$2.02 ₱124

82.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.57

$1.80 ₱111

-39.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 R$9.68

$1.62 ₱99.6

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.84

$0.93 ₱57.1

22.58%

Eggs

$1.75 R$8.95

$2.00 ₱123

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 R$37.01

$7.88 ₱484

-8.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.20 R$16.40

$5.04 ₱309

-36.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.09 R$41.42

$10.83 ₱665

-25.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 R$13.03

$2.39 ₱147

6.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.89

$1.52 ₱93.3

-24.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.74 R$3.81

$3.15 ₱194

-76.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.82

$1.20 ₱73.5

27.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.70

$1.68 ₱103

-22.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.46

$3.43 ₱211

-68.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 R$4.49

$1.06 ₱65.1

-16.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 R$3.91

$0.88 ₱53.9

-13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 R$10.95

$2.92 ₱179

-26.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.94 R$35.51

$7.88 ₱484

-11.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R$7.13

$0.74 ₱45.56

87.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 R$8.30

$1.57 ₱96.5

3.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 R$4.27

$0.15 ₱9.46

453.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.08 R$159

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.61

$0.69 ₱42.39

59.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 R$3.86

$0.24 ₱14.79

212.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 R$31.19

$2.18 ₱134

179.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 R$5.61

$1.12 ₱69.0

-1.79%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.9K R$101.8K

$28.7K ₱1.8M

-30.69%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.1K R$138.6K

$17.4K ₱1.1M

55.34%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$109 R$556

$130 ₱7,962

-16.18%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.53 R$79.5

$33.03 ₱2,028

-52.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.27 R$93.5

$26.53 ₱1,629

-31.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.41 R$115

$69.8 ₱4,284

-67.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.63 R$218

$4.51 ₱277

845.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.21 R$31.76

$4.03 ₱247

54.09%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$224 R$1,148

$145 ₱8,901

54.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,156 R$11.0K

$4,273 ₱262.3K

-49.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.96 R$245

$44.93 ₱2,759

6.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.51 R$228

$33.70 ₱2,069

32.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 R$462

$69.1 ₱4,240

30.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.7 R$301

$113 ₱6,961

-48.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$322 R$1,646

$262 ₱16.1K

22.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 R$1,028

$104 ₱6,408

92.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 R$1,929

$1,278 ₱78.5K

-70.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 R$1,749

$396 ₱24.3K

-13.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,583 R$13.2K

$2,341 ₱143.8K

10.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 R$5,927

$1,048 ₱64.3K

10.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$474 R$2,426

$241 ₱14.8K

96.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.17

91.09%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Fortaleza: July 27, 2026

Last update for San Juan: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $322 in Fortaleza versus $262 in San Juan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 96% higher in Fortaleza, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Fortaleza versus $9.00 in San Juan. Groceries tell a different story – $176 in Fortaleza vs $216 in San Juan – so Fortaleza wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Fortaleza vs San Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fortaleza costs about 3% more than San Juan, with the gap driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,234 per month in Fortaleza and $1,200 in San Juan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Juan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Fortaleza and $9.00 in San Juan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 23% cheaper in Fortaleza – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $823 in Fortaleza and $800 in San Juan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Juan costs $800 versus $823 in Fortaleza. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with San Juan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fortaleza makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.